Outline of Istanbul

The annual art fair Contemporary Istanbul (CI) opens on Sept. 12 and is set to host galleries, collectors, artists, art enthusiasts, academics and critics for four days until Sept. 15 at the Istanbul Congress Center and the Rumeli Hall at the Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center.

The International Istanbul Opera Festival, which aims to make Istanbul stand out as one of the most distinguished artsy cities of the world and has an important place among other festivals, will meet art lovers on July 2.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that plans are afoot to make architectural changes to the Hagia Sophia monument in Istanbul, the Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros reported on Saturday.

In response to the intention announced this week by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to turn the Hagia Sophia monument - originally a Byzantine Christian cathedral and now a museum - into a mosque after his country's local elections on Sunday, UNESCO sources cited by the Greek media clarified on Wednesday that changing the World Heritage site's status would require approval by the Paris-b

The Greek website ekathimerini.com is reporting this, citing unnamed sources with the UN organization.

Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the Istanbul Jazz Festival will host leading names and new discoveries from the world of jazz, as well as the stars of contemporary music between June 29 and July 18. The festival will feature more than 300 names in 27 different venues around Istanbul.

UNESCO sources cited by Greek media on Wednesday said that changing Istanbul-based Hagia Sophia's World Heritage Site status would require approval by the Paris-based organization.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday again suggested turning Hagia Sophia, originally a Byzantine Christian cathedral, into a mosque.

The 38th Istanbul Film Festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), will take place between 5 and 16 April with a program comprising highlights from Turkey and world cinema.